TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Yearly round this time, at Purple Wings coaching camp, there’s a younger participant with all eyes on him to try to make a shock run on the NHL roster.
In every of the earlier two coaching camps, that participant was Simon Edvinsson. Earlier than that, it was Lucas Raymond. This yr, it’s a bit bit totally different.
Because the Purple Wings open camp, there are three younger forwards all seeking to make a shock push to Detroit: Carter Mazur, Marco Kasper and Nate Danielson.
And whereas Detroit’s roster — as standard — doesn’t at present have an apparent spot up for grabs, the Purple Wings are overtly hoping that a minimum of a type of gamers can drive them into a troublesome choice.
“We wish a push,” Purple Wings coach Derek Lalonde stated. “I would really like these guys clearly to be respectful to the veterans, however to be combating for his or her spot. That’s the fact of rising. We wish that push from them. And it’s solely two days in, however quite a lot of positives.”
The primary title Lalonde pointed to matched my observations from the primary two days: “I’d say Marco’s had two very robust days,” Lalonde stated. “Danielson, Carter very related.”
Kasper caught my eye from Day 1 in observe, trying larger and extra highly effective than he did a yr in the past. My first word of camp was a formidable shot Kasper buried (albeit on a three-on-zero drill), and he saved catching my eye throughout a battle drill quickly after, holding onto a puck towards Danielson head-to-head in a single rep, drawing even on one other, and with the 2 splitting a pair of reps when the drill expanded to two-on-two (Danielson with Alexandre Doucet, Kasper with Michael Brandsegg-Nygård).
“We have been speaking within the room yesterday, he doesn’t even appear to be the identical athlete as final yr presently in camp,” Lalonde stated. “He constructed some confidence from his development in (Grand Rapids) final yr, and I feel that playoff run was very helpful for him. He’s obtained some perspective into camp this yr, which is actually a constructive.”
Kasper has performed on a line thus far with Brandsegg-Nygård and Cross Hanas, a beginning place that serves as a reminder that he — or any of those three younger forwards — must actually play his approach right into a critical roster battle. Detroit has rolled the similar 4 NHL strains by two days thus far, which is an efficient indicator of the established order.
However the large alternatives for all three of those gamers will come within the preseason, when lineups will change by the day to accommodate a jam-packed sport schedule, permitting for a lot of totally different seems to be.
As Lalonde alluded, Kasper and Mazur come into this camp on the heels of a powerful exhibiting within the AHL playoffs, the place Mazur had eight factors in 9 video games and Kasper had seven. Each have been among the many Griffins’ greatest gamers in these video games, rising to the problem of playoff depth.
Exhibition season gained’t carry that very same baseline urgency. However for these younger forwards, that’s what they’ll must faucet into as they attempt to take a lineup spot from a extra veteran participant.
Basic supervisor Steve Yzerman has stated that “if any of those younger children makes us a greater workforce and goes to play an everyday position — not only a bit-part position — we’ll determine one thing out.” It’s simply that making the Purple Wings keen to doubtlessly waive, or commerce, an current participant (maybe a goaltender, with a deep goalie room that has three netminders slated for the NHL roster) is less complicated stated than performed.
Nonetheless, they aren’t simply 18-year-old lengthy pictures anymore.
Mazur is 22, with a full professional season now beneath his belt. His largest problem this summer season was going to be including weight, and certain sufficient, he confirmed as much as camp trying significantly extra stuffed out — listed at 6-foot, 189 kilos, up 14 from his listed AHL weight final season. That’s vital as a result of for as gritty a sport as Mazur performs, he’ll want to have the ability to maintain up bodily to play it on the NHL stage.
Kasper is youthful at 20, however listed at 6-foot, 197 kilos, his physique seems to be extra NHL-ready. He’s a great skater and puck transporter and could be tenacious on the forecheck. His begin to camp has been precisely what you’d wish to see from him.
Danielson is the youngest of the bunch, however he’ll flip 20 subsequent week and would possibly simply have the very best general upside of the three. His skating pops off the ice, and he brings a mix of talent and hockey sense at each ends of the ice. He has the least professional expertise of the three, however his mature sport nonetheless stands out.
“Danielson’s actually spectacular,” Patrick Kane stated Thursday. “Skated with him a bit bit after I first got here into Detroit. Quite a lot of talent. Type of jogs my memory a bit little bit of (Connor) Bedard the way in which he performs, and the way in which he stickhandles and shoots. … He seems to be like he’s obtained a vivid future.”
Kane additionally famous that he was on the identical workforce as Mazur in a three-on-three event and got here away impressed, particularly highlighting his launch and saying, “I feel he stunned some goaltenders together with his shot.”
Mazur spent sooner or later with Amadeus Lombardi and Jakub Rychlovsky, and sooner or later with Sheldon Dries and Joe Snively. All 4 of these gamers are projected to start out in Grand Rapids. In the meantime, Danielson has been with two gamers on skilled tryouts, Alex Chiasson and Isaac Ratcliffe. It’s exhausting to know what, if something, to make of that, and we might effectively see totally different seems to be within the last two days of camp.
However the true alternative seems to be like it is going to come within the preseason, the place all three might be seeking to state their case for an NHL position Oct. 10 — or for an early call-up when accidents inevitably strike.
Again to work ⚙️ pic.twitter.com/d3rLPt0b2v
— Detroit Purple Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 20, 2024
Edvinsson anticipated to start out in prime 4
This one’s probably not a shock, however in case there was any lingering doubt, Lalonde confirmed that he foresees Edvinsson enjoying in Detroit’s prime 4 to start out the season.
The 6-foot-6 Swede has been skating with Jeff Petry thus far in camp, after the 2 performed collectively down the stretch final season. The Purple Wings might be on the lookout for consistency from Edvinsson, and positively they’ll need him to play a “clear sport,” as Lalonde put it in terms of avoiding turnovers. However clearly, they’ve seen sufficient to pencil him into a major position.
Edvinsson is one other participant who has packed on some added weight, now listed at 225 kilos. He was already an enormous physique on the ice, listed final season at 209 kilos, however actually the Purple Wings will take a bit additional mass on him to assist clear the web and maintain off forecheckers.
He additionally had the very best reply of the day Friday, on how he added that additional weight.
“It was simply quite a lot of avocados,” Edvinsson joked.
(High photograph of Marco Kasper: Allison Farrand / Detroit Purple Wings)
